Impaired Driving Accident: How Drowsiness Can Impair Drivers
A vast majority of the population is aware of the dangers of drunk driving, which claims thousands of lives each year in the US. But, not so many people know that drowsy driving is almost as dangerous as driving under the influence, and thousands of people die each year in drowsy driving accidents.
Drowsy Driving Statistics
Drowsy driving has been a contributing factor that leads to a tremendous number of accidents, injuries, and deaths in the US each year. There are no statistics available which can tell us exactly the number of people injured or killed in car accidents caused by drowsy driving, but the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has estimated that drowsy driving causes around 328,000 crashes each year which lead to more than 6,400 deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 accidents each year which lead to around 5,000 deaths. The problem of drowsy driving was analyzed in a survey conducted by National Sleep Foundation and shows that almost half of the drivers claimed that they drive while feeling tired, on the other hand, 20% of the drivers admitted that they have slept behind the wheel in the last 12 months.
How Drowsiness Can Impair Drivers?
A drowsy driver is potentially even more dangerous than those ones who are drunk. A drunk driver may be able to apply the brakes or steer away from the potential crash, but if the driver is sleeping behind the wheel, then you can be sure that the chances of preventing a collision are almost zero.
According to the National Safety Council, driving while drowsy equals to driving with an alcohol level of 0.08, and that, if you are tired, you are three times more likely to get into an accident.
Florida Laws on Impaired Driving
Florida has a specific law known as Ronshay Dugans Act which recognizes the issue of drowsy driving and was enacted in the memory of Ronshay Dugans, an eight-year-old third-grader who was killed in an auto crash involving a drowsy driver in 2008.
This law was enacted to raise awareness about drowsy driving, and it encourages state organizations to educate the law enforcement community and the general public about the dangers posed by drowsy driving.
A person who is a victim of an accident caused by drowsy driving has the option to sue the driver and can get compensation for suffering, pain, lost wages, medical bills, future medical bills, property damage, and rehabilitation expenses, etc. as drowsy driving accidents are mostly caused due to negligence of the driver, who in the first place, decided to drive without having proper sleep.
Conclusion
Crashes caused by drowsy driving are quite complicated as there is currently no state or federal statute which specifies the exact amount of fatigue under which a driver must not drive. This sets these accidents apart from drunk driving accident cases as law enforcement agencies can quickly tell if the driver was drunk above the permitted limit using alcohol in blood test or by a breath analyzer.
So, it’s a good idea to hire a competent auto accident attorney who has experience in handling drowsy driving cases. Contact us at (727) 498-8771 for a free consultation. We are the leading impaired driving accident law firm in St. Petersburg Florida and have helped hundreds of victims of auto accidents.